The work on the third book has already started and I will be blogging as usual after a short break enjoying the lovely spring weather. Normally I show lots and lots of photos in my blog, but today I am going to show you the inaugural speech the Deputy Director of Norsk Folkemuseum, Inger Jensen, held at the opening of “Folk Costume Close-Up” on May 13th. I am so very proud that so many people like what I do and thank you, to all of you, that has sent me kind e-mails and letters.
Deputy Director of Norsk Folkemuseum, Inger Jensen.
It is a joy for the Norsk Folkemuseum to host the photo exhibition ”Bunader i nærbilde”, Folk Costume Close-Up, by Laila Durán. This theme suits this museum well, where photos, costumes and textiles have had a central position since more than one hundred years, even if it was not until the 1950ies that the Sami heritage was exhibited as a part of Norwegian culture. For the moment we are receiving Norwegian objects back from Nordiska Museet in Sweden, while at the same time we are planning to bring Sami artefacts back to their original contexts.
- Even if there are many people who use bunad in Norway, it is not often that bunads are seen in a photo exhibition. Maybe the reason for this is that everybody in this country knows about them. At the national day the 17th of May, and on family celebrations the bunad is worn as festive wear. The pictures we commonly see of bunads are often celebrities in official ceremonies, photos we take of each other at the celebrations of the year or in life, or old depictions in the museum collections. However, in these pictures it is not the costumes that are in focus. Through her photos Laila Durán makes us really see the bunads, and this is what the title of the exhibition, “Folk Costume Close-Up” refers to. The photographer shows us the bunads in a way we are not used to.
- First of all it is not always the most renowned costumes that are shown in this exhibition. Some of them you will recognize, but the majority are bunads that are based on the old folk costumes, clothes that were worn by the rural population before the breakthrough of industrialisation. Some are copies of old folk costumes, which have been created through a meticulous reconstruction process, where different sources as coloured drawings, old photos and written description have been combined with the study of preserved garments.
- In cooperation with museums and private collections the photographer also shows us old folk costumes that are not used today. In the old farming communities there were a lot of variations of the same costume. There were wedding costumes, church costumes, festive costumes and everyday costumes and there were differences in clothing between children, adults, unmarried and married. These nuances are in great deal forgotten today, when we only use the bunads as festive wear. By using models in all ages and stage different occasions in the pictures Laila Durán demonstrates the pluralism in the local costume tradition.
- As a museum we highly value this communication of knowledge about the historic costumes. Hopefully this can stimulate an interest for old artefacts and inspire to the learning of the old textile techniques and thereby carrying forth the tradition of this part of our immaterial cultural heritage.
- The photos are also different from what we usually see, because they show people in traditional surroundings and situations. The costumes are the main part of the picture, but there are also a lot of other components and details, which make the garments stand out. In many cases the models are friends or of the same family, something that gives a genuine expression. But there is also a focus on the textiles, which makes it almost possible to feel the different fabrics when looking at the photos.
- Something else that makes this exhibition special is the Scandinavian perspective. We often think of our Norwegian costumes as something particularly national. But among the three peoples of the two countries the use of what we call bunad is very different. In Norway more than 50 per cent of all women and a growing part of all men have a bunad, while in Sweden “bygdedräkterna” are used mostly by people with special interests.
- In the Sami regions the majority of the inhabitants own a kirtle, but the use has varied over time. In some places there is an unbroken tradition, while in other places the use diminished or disappeared as a consequence of the Norwegisation politics. Today the interest is growing, many are making kirtles and many more are using them. In areas where the tradition was broken old kirtles are reconstructed, showing how important the costume is as a marker of identity.
- Otherwise, the folk costumes of Scandinavia went out of use in most places in the course of the 19th century. When they were revived in the end of the century as national symbols, the Norwegian bunads got an extra dimension: to signal the independence from Sweden, to which we had been united since 1814, and to Denmark, who ruled Norway since the middle ages. It was then important to create costumes that were national, free from “utenlandsk fjas og uekthet”, foreign vanity and counterfeits, as it was called. Because of that, cotton fabrics and silk ribbons were replaced with linen and embroidery in wool, something that today characterises our most renowned bunads. These costumes are an important part of our tradition. And if some are particularly Norwegian, it might be that in many cases these are made more Norwegian than they originally were.
- But looking behind this, costume traditions emerge, where the local was more important than the national. We have been in contact with each other, interpreting impulses of continental style and mixing it with our local tradition. Costumes could therefore be more different in neighbouring Norwegian valleys than on each side of the border. And looking further back in time, we find common traces with the ancient costume tradition that are today passed on by the Sami.
- And the most exciting is, that we are able to see new connections in the old costume material. Through her photos Laila Durán makes these things actual to us today, as modern human beings.
The first pages of the third book are ready! Here is a bride from Vest Agder in Norway dressed in a reconstructed costume from 1810 made by Mandal Husflid. I start taking pictures again in a few week and will be back on the blog with more photos. Until then I hope you enjoy my books and for those of you that sent me your postal address to receive postcards: the cards are in the mailbox.
All text and photos are protected by Copyright.
Curator at Norsk Folkemuseum, Kari-Anne Pedersen, is as happy as I am.
On the big day, May 13th, the guest where dressed in their finest folk costumes and visitors where busy taking photos.
A bride and groom from Telemark and two young Sami girls where guests. To the left, a man in a costume from Toarp.
Here I am (to the right) with some of my friends, wearing a “beltestakk” from Telemark.
The first guests are arriving at the photo exhibition.
This is my friend from Kautokeino in front of her wedding photo, which is part of the exhibition.
Of course, all my friends wanted to get a look at their picture.
The “fashion show” started and the bride from Telemark looked like a fairy tale. Her head dress is called “lad”.
The head dress is made of layers of red wool cloth decorated with silver leaves.
This is a green embroidered bunad from Östfold.
The man in the bunad from Nordhordaland is wearing two waistcoats as was used to show the family wealth.
A bunad from Vest-Agder. The woman is wearing a “plissestakk”, a pleated skirt and a head dress “vase” to show she is a married woman.
On this occasion the spectators was as well dressed as the ones on the stage.
A gentleman from Scania with a fashionable high collar and top hat.
The silk ribbon on the mens hat was used by the bride groom.
Curator Kari Anne Pedersen, in a Telemark “beltestakk”, is presenting the reconstructed and the embroidered bunads from Valdres.
A young girl wearing an old “beltestakk” from Telemark.
The backside of the bunad bodice is made of red silk decorated with silver lace. Her hair is tied up as was customary for unmarried women.
Spectators from Toarp and Scania, Sweden.
The lady from Dala-Floda in Dalecarlia is wearing the traditional embroidered jacket and cap.
Curator Thomas Walle was co-hosting the event. Here he is dressed in his bunad from Östfold.
A checkered skirt and striped apron. This lady is pretty in a bunad from Bærum.
The presentation of the Norwegian bunads are over and …..
…as the Norwegians leave the stage the Swedes get ready to show their finery.
The Swedes wear folk costumes, there are no bunads in Sweden. This is the way the people on the country side dressed a hundred years ago.
The lady from Leksand in Dalecarlia is also dressed for Church. Her blue apron, embroidered shawl and all the decorations hanging from her belt shows it is a festive occasion.
The skirts in the folk costumes from Boda has a striped panel named “breda” in the front. The apron is varied depending on the occasion. The white hat shows that the woman is married and gloves like this was only worn to Church.
A very fashionable gentleman from Central Sweden in a costume copied from pieces of garments dated ca.1830.
Mother and daughter from Scania. The girl is wearing a “piglock” (girls curl) the headdress for young girls. Her mother wears a kerchief as was used by the married women. The silver on the Scanian costumes are abundant and was often worn as pendants like “Striglakors” and “Söllakors”.
The pedlar from Toarp is showing off his money belt and the “fessing”, the bag where he keeps his most valuable goods.
He must be a good salesman because he is wearing a fine blue wool coat with embroidery.
His wife is showing her stockings. It was customary that when a couple was married that the bride would stand on a rock and the guest would lift her skirt to see her stockings. That way they would know if she was good with the needle and tread and would be a good wife to her husband.
The women from Dala Floda in Dalecarlia are famous for their embroidery.
The the jacket, the hem of the skirt, the hanging pocket and cap are embroidered with wool yarn.
The man from Scania is rich. He is wearing a silk ribbon with silver “stötter” aglets. This means he is the owner of a farm.
The wife is dressed for a festive occasion with a white head dress and apron. She is also wearing “öronsvansar” (ear tails) a fashionable detail that would keep the ears warm.
The daughter is dressed as a Scanian bride with a “fjäderhätta” a feathered crown (or cap). It is made of dyed hens feathers that are made in to the shapes of flowers and fastened to the top of the cap.
The bridal “fjäderhätta” is decorated with peals, glass beads, silver lace and 21 silk ribbons with floral patterns.
When the fiddler started to play some of the guests spontaneously gave an performance of how to do the “polska”.
These young ladies wearing folk costumes from Kautokeino in Norway was the most photographed at the event. Lines of tourists waited to have their photos taken with the girls. The “kolt” or “kofte” (kirtle) has a hem (holbi) witch is almost 40 meters. There are 2000 meters of fine ribbons stitched only to the hem.
The girls have brand new kirtles that was made for them for the confirmation last Easter. They are wearing “adult” belts with silver and white ribbons in their caps.
This man is wearing a kirtle from Karesuando. The leather pants and boots are tied with colorful wool ribbons and the round buttons on the belt shows that he is unmarried.
The two ladies are Lule Sami. The lady to the left are wearing a collar with tin embroidery and the lady to the right has a collar with cloth and leather appliqué. The belts are woven and fastened with a bone clasp.
The older generation of Karesuando Samis wear kirtles with more simple decoration.
The young man has five back panels while his father has three.
When I started to work on the books Scandinavian Folklore I wanted to include the Samis. They are the indigenous people of Scandinavia and there could not be a book without them. But ……. I knew no-one in Sápmi! Two years ago one young man was brave and had the courage to befriend me, a stranger, and let me in to his family and showing me the ways of the Sami life. This is Isak Utsi from Porjus, in Swedish Lappland, and without him there would be no photos from the wonderful arctic north.
One of the pleasures before ending the official part of the day was signing books with Anne Kristin Moe.
Here are some private photos from the party after the event. In the evening we had a traditional dinner with “römmegröt og spekemat” in one of the 18th century farm houses at the museum.
Cheers!!!!! 40 people attended a dinner we will not easily forget.
Ladies from Kautokeino and Telemark.
Anne Kristin Moe is very happy that the event went so well.
With my friend Isak and his mother.
The fiddlers kept playing all night….
….and when the sun went down we kept dancing in the light from the open fire.
This is one of the postcards with embroidered half mittens from Boda.